Building Technology

As the final component in the required sequence of technology courses in the MArch I program, this professionally-oriented course develops an integral understanding of the design and construction of buildings and their related technologies – structural, constructional, and environmental. Building on fundamentals covered in GSD 6203: Building Construction, the course looks in detail at examples of innovative construction techniques in wood, steel, and concrete structures. Construction details are investigated as a means by which aesthetic expression and the logic of problem-solving achieve synthesis in design. The course also looks at the context in which technological innovation takes place by exploring the relationship of the various design and construction participants. Class meetings alternate between lectures designed to build understanding of construction techniques and a series of case studies focusing on innovative detail design. Case studies build on the issues covered in earlier lectures, and are designed to provide students with a chance to test their conceptual understanding of broader construction issues while dealing with the specific conditions of each building under scrutiny. Each case study presents assignments for students to prepare for discussion in the following class meeting.